Griff Alums Enjoy Success at National Level

A trio of Canisius College men’s lacrosse alums has made some news on the Canadian lacrosse scene. Matt Vinc ’05 and Dan Coates ’11 are set to square off in the Mann Cup Finals in Victoria, British Columbia, while fellow Golden Griffin standout Brad Favero ’07 also enjoyed success by winning the Senior B Championship.

Both Vinc and Coates helped lead their respective teams to provincial championships and advance to the Mann Cup. Vinc is a member of the Victoria Shamrocks of the WLA, while Coates plays for the Six Nations Chiefs in Ontario.

Vinc anchored Victoria in their 4-2 series win over the Langley Thunder, which included former Canisius All-American Adam Jones on its roster. The Shamrocks clinched the series with an 8-3 victory in game six to advance to the national championship. Coates and Six Nations swept the Brooklin Redmen, 4-0, in the Ontario Lacrosse Association Finals.

A four-year defender at Canisius, Vinc led the Griffs in ground balls in three different seasons and ranks fifth in the program's record book with 258 career ground balls. A 2004 and 2005 All-MAAC selection, he was the sixth overall selection in the 2005 NLL Draft after graduating from Canisius, leading the Rochester Knighthawks to the last two NLL Championships.

Coates anchored the Canisius defense during his four-year collegiate career. The St. Catharines, Ontario native became the first Griff defender to earn first-team All-MAAC accolades during the 2011 season. He led Canisius with 52 ground balls, while placing second on the team with 18 caused turnovers. Coates also led all MAAC defenders with 4.33 ground balls per game in 2011 and totaled 113 ground balls and 40 caused turnovers during his career.

“I am very exited to compete for a Canadian National Championship,” Coates said. “The Mann Cup has a rich history and to be a part of it is truly an honor. Competing against a former Golden Griffin on such a big stage is also pretty special. Matt is a great competitor and I have always admired his work ethic on and off the floor. The match up will definitely be a little more interesting with alumni weekend coming up later this month.”

“To have two of our proud alumni competing for a national championship at the next level is just awesome to see as a coach,” said Canisius head coach Randy Mearns. “Dan and Matt are two phenomenal players, as they were during their time on campus in helping build our program to where it is today.”

In addition to the Mann Cup success, Favero helped lead the St. Catharines Saints to their first President Cup, sealing the championship with an 8-5 victory over the Kahnawake Mohawks. Favero netted two early goals in the contest to give the Saints the lead for good en route to the title.